Note 723 — Chapter IV · RISE OF THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT (continued 2)

In "our days, a woman without a marriage portion, unless she has some great natural attractions, runs the risk of being a spinster forever. This state of things naturally grows up in a society where monogamy is prescribed by law, where the adult women outnumber the adult men, where many men never marry, and where married women too often lead an indolent life."—Westermarck, op. cit., 416.